Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that smell and taste loss can affect our personal safety, mental and physical health, and overall quality of life? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Danielle Reed, Ph.D. Associate Director of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, based in Philadelphia, PA. Reed shares insights from her research investigating differences in the loss of taste and smell as a result of COVID-19 infections and other conditions. Reed is a member of the Global Consortium for Chemosensory Research. Related website:  https://monell.org/smell-taste-loss/ 

Did you know that the diet industry depends on a “media illiterate” audience? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Frank Baker, journalist and media education consultant. Baker has been recognized by UNESCO’s Global Alliance partnership for Media & Information Literacy. Baker pulls back the curtain on diet industry ads, discusses media literacy education in K-12 schools, and shares critical questions we can pose to navigate all media messages. https://namle.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Key-Questions.pdf  Baker explains that propaganda is widely used in our society https://www.frankwbaker.com/mlc/propaganda/ and https://propaganda.mediaeducationlab.com/, but students are not taught to recognize persuasive techniques. He provides examples of carefully constructed media messages in the diet industry, and the power of testimonials and celebrity in selling products. Related website:  www.frankwbaker.com 

Did you know that phytochemicals in plants deserve more of our attention for their role in protecting our healthspan? https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fft2.81 Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jed Fahey, Ph.D., nutritional biochemist and former Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Medical School where he directed the Cullman Chemoprotection Center. Fahey shares his expertise of plant physiology and human nutrition, discusses the many benefits of “phytochemicals” in general and specifically sulforaphane found in broccoli and broccoli sprouts. He also explains how and why we get a greater phytochemical load from organically grown fruits and vegetables, and laments the loss of biodiversity in vegetable seeds, as depicted by National Geographic:  https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/infographic-design/ Related website:  www.jedfahey.com 

Did you know that intermittent fasting can reduce breast cancer recurrence and improve overall metabolic health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dorothy Sears, Ph.D., professor of Nutrition at Arizona State U.’s  College of Health Solutions, and adjunct professor of medicine at the U. of CA – San Diego. Sears discusses her research on meal timing (intermittent fasting and circadian rhythm) and the benefits of standing during bouts of sitting to improve overall health. Related website:  https://chs.asu.edu/dorothy-sears 

Did you know that pesticides are not necessary to “feed the world,” and that American taxpayers pay for pesticide-related harm to our environment and health? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Kristin Schafer, Former Executive Director of the Pesticide Action Network of North America. Schafer discusses highlights of her 25-year career with PAN, summarizes the best farming methods for resilient agriculture; and, explains how policy must help protect children from pesticide harm. Read more about Schafer’s work experiences in her reflection series: https://www.panna.org/blogs/kristin-schafer, and learn about how the pesticide industry influences EPA in this Catalyst article: https://www.panna.org/sites/default/files/PANnews2021n03.pdf Learn about SB 3283 Protect America’s children from toxic pesticides act:  https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3283 Related website:  www.panna.org 

Did you know that if pesticides are used anywhere in a community, those pesticides can end up in ground water shared by that community? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Nancy Alderman, Founder and President of Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of human health from environmental harms through research, education and the promotion of sound public policy. Alderman describes how well-meaning individuals can be fooled by pesticide and lawn care marketing. Tune in to find out how to best protect your family from a number of harmful environmental chemicals, and ask to receive EHHI’s daily education updates at: info@ehhi.org  Related website:  http://www.ehhi.org 

Did you know that U.S. consumers spend more on health care than they do on food? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jeff Tkach, Chief Impact Officer at the non-profit Rodale Institute. Tkach describes the Rodale Institute’s new free, on-demand consumer course on regenerative organic food and farming.  He defines “regenerative organic agriculture,” and explains the multiple health benefits of organic food and farming for our environment and health. He also discusses hurdles or barriers to the adoption of organic practices, and the power of consumers in the marketplace. Related website:  https://courses.rodaleinstitute.org/p/being-a-regenerative-consumer 

Did you know that plastic breaks down in our environment and enters our water, air, food chain and bodies? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Gaboury Benoit, Ph.D., Environmental Chemist at Yale University, and author of “Plastics and Microplastics: A Threat to the Environment and Health.” Benoit discusses the fate of microplastics, potential adverse effects on soil and human health, and why it is critical to choose anything but plastic whenever possible. Related website:  https://www.ehhi.org/plastics.php 

Did you know that industrial agriculture and factory farms negatively impact rural communities’ water, air and quality of life?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Sherri Dugger, Executive Director of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project. Dugger defines “socially responsible agriculture,” discusses industrial farming myths, and describes how SRAP works in partnership with rural communities to oppose concentrated animal feeding operations. To watch SRAP’s 2021 conference, “Building a Socially Responsible Food Future,” See: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ1v-GDXiO6jmll0RNj7MkrbsE_EJKnFZ For community assistance in opposing CAFOs, call: 844-367-7727. Related website:  https://sraproject.org/ 

Did you know that what we eat can not only affect our own personal health, but that of our planet as well? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dana Ellis Hunnes, R.D., MPH, Ph.D., dietitian and faculty member at UCLA https://ph.ucla.edu/faculty/hunneswho discusses her book: Recipe for Survival: What You Can Do to Live a Healthier and More Environmentally Friendly Life. (Cambridge U. Press). Hunnes reflects on her dietetics profession, discusses the lack of “sustainability” guidance in our National Dietary Guidelines, and the relationship of food and farming to climate change. Related website:  http://danaellishunnes.com